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5 tips on how to become a better leader for your employees

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In public relations – as well as any other field – having a great leader is essential for a company to succeed.

A boss’s duty is to teach, lead and inspire. Most organizations live and die on the quality of leaders that run them. Empower your team to contribute to the success of your business by being a strong leader.

Here are five tips on how to become a better leader for your employees:

1. Appreciate – In the PR world, life moves at a faster pace. There are always multiple projects, deadlines and clients to adhere to. Sometimes there isn’t time to stop and celebrate big achievements.

As a boss or manager, even something as small as praising an employee in a congratulatory email or staff meeting can make them feel appreciated. Applaud them in front of the whole team. Don’t underestimate the value of individual recognition; it keeps morale and motivation at a high.

2. Delegate – In public relations, client pressures and the frantic pace of the workday often make it easier for managers to tackle tough assignments on their own. It may be hard to let go, but if you promote personal accountability and enable employees to tackle tougher projects they will appreciate your trust in them and in turn work harder to prove their value.

3. Encourage participation – Involve staff in new business meetings, conference calls and presentations. Encourage them to ask questions. Ask their input on a new project or let them look over a new proposal you are working on. By keeping them in the loop of what’s going on, they will begin to understand how their work fits into the larger scope of the business.

4. Listen – Your employees deserve to be heard when they have concerns. Take the time to really hear them out and work with them to develop a solution. Whether it’s work related or a personal issue, taking the time to hear them out is important to their sense of empowerment and significance. This will show them you care about their well-being.

5. Be ethical and moral – Lead by example. Live and work with integrity. Stick to the fundamental principles of public relations: advocacy, honesty and loyalty.

Photocredit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adamgrabek

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One Response to “5 tips on how to become a better leader for your employees”

Gilbert Nichols

You share some good points and I would submit that a quality of a good leader is to nurture and develop future leaders. Listening to their concerns and comments, as you shared in point number 4, will go a long way toward building trust. Point 3 does skirt around what I’m talking about but the manager needs to be humble enough to give credit where credit is due and allow the employee with the idea to get all the spotlight, not just a pat on the back. When the leadership promotes the “big picture” as you mentioned, and passes that along to the employee, then every little mundane task takes on newer meaning and the people can rally around performance and production goals like they owned them!

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Affinity Health System has worked with Red Shoes PR for nearly six years to build a more strategic communication position. The quality of their work is smart, timely and offers a wonderful perspective. Red Shoes PR has been responsive to our needs and I would highly recommend them as a key partner to any organization.